Sleigh.



No. 783,437. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

N. JOHNSON & F. PEARSON.

SLBIGH.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 5, 1903.

i7 "16' '17 :17 J6 A Witnesses Peay-dm uve-mons,

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.NITED STATES Patented February 28, 1905 NILS JOHNSON AND FREDERICKPEARSON, OF STAR PRAIRIE, WISCONSIN.

SLEIGH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,437, elated.February 28, 1905.

Application filed February 5, 1903. Serial No. 142,081.

This invention relates to bob-sleighs, and` has for its object toprovide an improved construction of knee, so as to obtain a tiltable orrocking connection between the knee and the knee beam or bolster topermit tilting movements of the runner when encountering irregularitiesin the roadway, and thereby to avoid strain upon the body of the sleigh.It is also proposed to brace the joint between the knee and the bolsterfrom the forwardl upturned portion of the runner and to have the braceconstitute a part of the joint, so as to materially simplify theconnection between the brace, the knee, andthe bolster and at the sametime to preserve the strength and durability thereof. f j

W ith these and other objects in View the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts,as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit l or sacrilicingany of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of abob-sleigh embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is afragmentary top plan view thereof. Fig. 3

4is a rear elevation of the sleigh. Fig. 4 is a which rest fiat upon thetop of the runner and are bolted or otherwise secured thereto by meansof suitable fastenings 7. The upper ends of the standard portions orsides 3 and 4 of the knee are connected by a suitable horizontalcross-bar 8, which is provided at its middle with a depression or socket9. A substantiall y horizontal brace-bar 10 has its front upturned endconnected to the rear side of the upwardly-bowed portion 2 of therunner, as indicated at 11, with its rear extremity flattened, as at 12,so as to lie flat upon the top of the cross-bar 8, and is providedintermediate of its ends with an upwardly-bowed portion 13, constitutinga socket registering with the socket 9 and producing a substantiallycircular bearing, there being bolts 14 or other fastenings piercing thecross-bar 8 and the flattened rear end of the brace 10, so as to rigidlyconnect these parts'.

Upon corresponding knees, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, a knee beam or bolster 15 is supported and is connected ateach end to the adjacent knee in the following manner: A metallic plate16 is secured to the under side of the bolster' by means of bolts orsuitable fastenings 17, and adjacent the inner end of the plate there isa pair of spaced pendent ears 18, pierced by corresponding perforations,there being a similar pair of pendent ears 19 adjacent the opposite endof the plate, the ears 19 embracing the bearing formed by the parts 9and 13 of the cross-bar 8 of the knee and the rear flattened portion 12of the brace 10. A substantially V-shaped brace member 20 has theextremities of its sides secured to the inner faces of the sides 3 and 4of the knee about midway of the lengths thereof, as indicated at 21,from which the brace inclines upwardly and inwardly and terminates atits upper end in an eye 22, which is received between the ears 18, therebeing a coupling bolt or bar 23passed through the ears 18 and 19, theeye 2.2, and the bearing upon the top of the knee, suitable'nuts 24being provided upon the ends of the coupling bolt or bar to hold thesame against end wise displacement.

It will here be explained that the couplingbolt 23 fits withsuiiicientlooseness within two pairs of ears, the eye 22, andthe bearingupon the top of the knee to permit of the runner rocking or tilting uponthe coupling-bar 23 as a pivotal support, thereby to accommodate therunner to irregularities in the road way without materially affectingthe body of the sleigh. Moreover', as the nuts 24 engage the respectiveadjacent fixed ears 18 and 19 the tightening of the nuts does not causea binding of any of the parts of the pivotal joint, which is a very important advantage, as otherwise the joint would be rendered stiic andineffectual for the purpose designed.

The simplicity of the joint between the knee and the bolster isapparent, and it will also be noted that when the bolt or bar 23 isremoved, so as to permit separation of the runner from the body of thesleigh, the brace l0 remains connected to the knee, 'and therefore thebearing at the top of the knee is unaffected and remains in condition tobe rengaged with the coupling-bolt 23 at any future time withoutrequiring an assemblage of the brace l() and the knee. Furthermore, asthe brace 10 constitutes a part of the bearing the bracing effect isapplied directly at the bearing instead of at one side thereof. wherebythe most effective bracing of the bearing is obtained and there can beno twisting of said bearing.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is l. Thecombination of a runner having an upturned front end, a knee risingtherefrom and including upstanding sides and a crossbar connecting thesides and provided intermediate of its ends with a half-bearing,a braceconnected to the upturned front end of the runner with a portion securedto the top of the cross-bar of the knee and provided with a half-bearingregistering with the half-bearing of the knee, a bolster having a pairof pendent bearing-ears lying at opposite sides of the registering'half-bearings of the knee and the brace-bar, and a coupling memberpiercing the bearing-ears and the bearing to permit tilting movements ofthe runner upon the bolster.

2. The combination of a runner having an upturned front end, a kneerising from the runner and including upstanding sides and a cross-barconnecting the upper ends of the sides, the cross-bar being depressedintermediate of its ends to form a half-bearing, a brace connected tothe upturned end of the runner with a portion lying upon the top of thecrossbar and provided with a raised portion constituting a half-bearingregistering with the half-bearing of the cross-bar, fasteningsconnecting the cross-bar and the brace at opposite sides of the bearing,a bolster having a pair of pendent ears lying at opposite sides of thebearing, and a coupling-bar piercing the ears and the bearing.

3. The combination of a runner having an upturned forward end, a kneerising therefrom and including upstanding sides andA a cross-barconnecting the upper ends thereof, the cross-bar being provided with anintermediate depression forming a half-bearing, a brace connected to theupturned end of the runner with a portion lying upon the top of thecross-bar and provided with araised part constituting a half-bearingregistering with the half-bearing of the cross-bar, fasteningsconnecting the brace to the cross-bar at opposite sides of the bearing,a bolster, inner and outer pairs of pendent bearing-ears carried by thebolster, the outer pair of ears embracing the bearing upon the top ofthe knee, a substantially V-shaped brace having its ends secured to thesides of the knee and inclined upwardly and inwardly therefrom with itsupper portion provided with an eye located between the inner ears, and acoupling-bar piercing the ears, the eye, and the bearing upon the knee.

ln testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed oui signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

' NILS JOHNSON.

FREDERICK PEARSON.

Witnesses:

AUSTIN DENNING, I.' H. WALTERs.

